4.02.2010

vegan calzones

Several years ago, before I became a vegan, I worked at a little Italian restaurant where every dish was packed with dairy. At the time, my favorite end of shift meal was always a cheesy, veggie filled calzone. Although I haven’t been back to this restaurant for years now, I still have occasional cravings for my old favorite. Once I discovered Rory Freeman and Kim Barnouin’s recipe for Tofu “Ricotta” from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, I finally had the perfect “cheesy” filling to create my own vegan version of calzones at home. By making just a few alterations to the Skinny Bitch recipe and adding my favorite vegetables, these Vegan Calzones turned out to taste so similar to the original; I could almost feel my old apron strings around my waist.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.*You’ll want to lightly drain the tofu before you crumble it, but some moisture is necessary. 10 oz should be about 3/4 of a package.Blend all ingredients for Tofu Ricotta to a smooth consistency.

Divide bread dough into four equal parts.Roll each ball of dough into a circle about 8” in diameter.Spread ¼ of the Tofu Ricotta onto 1 half of each circle.Load up your favorite vegetable toppings. We used portabella mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and artichokes. Sprinkle a small handful of vegan “cheese” over the vegetables.Fold the 2nd half of each dough circle over the toppings to create a half moon shape.Seal the edges of the dough by carefully curling the bottom edge up over the top of the dough and pressing firmly.Slice a few hash marks into the top of the dough on each calzone.Lightly brush with olive oil.Bake for 25 minutes until tops of calzones are golden brown.Serve with your favorite marinara and fresh basil.